• Cross-Cultural Studies
• /
• v.25
• /
• pp.55-85
• /
• 2011

Many States such as Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, California, New Mexico, Florida were obtained either from Spanish Empire or from Mexico. In 1848 due to the Guadalupe-Hidalgo treaty America could obtain half of the original territory of Mexico. American identity cannot be understood without the history of American expansionism further consolidated by the Spanish-American War in 1898, which brought other ex-Spanish colonies such as Guam, Puerto Rico, the Philippines to the US. The US's interest in these territories dates back to the Monroe doctrine in 1823 when Monroe "declared the Americas off-limits to any new European colonization." America justifies their expansion based on the notion of Manifest Destiny which was created by O'Sullivan at the hight of American fever to annex Texas to US. The intent of this paper is to study how Anglo-Saxon and Latin Culture clashed against each other especially right before and after the Spanish-American War. In this study the American hero, Theodore Roosevelt and Latin American hero, $Jos{\acute{e}}$ Martí will be compared, though they did not meet each other during the Spanish-American war due to Marti's early death in 1895 at the battle for the Cuba Libre. Their comparison is significant in that the former represents the American expansionist spirit and the latter the spirit of Anti-imperialism and Anti-Anglocentrism. Along with the concept of Manifest Destiny of America, 'American exceptionalism' is also mentioned which motivates U.S. to expand further even after the Spanish-American war in the form of 'informal imperialism' characterized by 'gunboat politics'of the US. These discussions will draw attention to how recent theorists such as Bryce Traister criticizes the Border Theory represented by $Jos{\acute{e}}$ David Saldívar. Here the Border Theory is criticized to repeat the discourse of the globalized capitalism which prefers the weak state and the transnational aspects by focusing on the in-betweenness of the border. In the end the paper will focus on how the Border theory as represented by Saldivar is political enough and sets up a resistant example against American expansionism of today in its focus on the call for pan-American and pluri-versal subjectivity of the borderlands. This point will be supported by a discussion of how Saldivar's view is confirmed by Walter Mignolo who advocates the "bottom up" resistance of the indigenous people of Chiapas and other social forums such as World Social Forum and the Social Forum of the Americas derived from the Zapatistas' movement whose motto is "A World in which many world co-exist."

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.42 no.11
• /
• pp.763-772
• /
• 2019

Periodontitis is characterized by the loss of periodontal tissues, especially alveolar bone. Common therapies cannot satisfactorily recover lost alveolar bone. Periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) possess the capacity of self-renewal and multilineage differentiation and are likely to recover lost alveolar bone. In addition, periodontitis is accompanied by hypoxia, and hypoxia-inducible $factor-1{\alpha}$ ($HIF-1{\alpha}$) is a master transcription factor in the response to hypoxia. Thus, we aimed to ascertain how hypoxia affects runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), a key osteogenic marker, in the osteogenesis of PDLSCs. In this study, we found that hypoxia enhanced the protein expression of $HIF-1{\alpha}$, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and RUNX2 ex vivo and in situ. VEGF is a target gene of $HIF-1{\alpha}$, and the increased expression of VEGF and RUNX2 proteins was enhanced by cobalt chloride ($CoCl_2$, $100{\mu}mol/L$), an agonist of $HIF-1{\alpha}$, and suppressed by 3-(5'-hydroxymethyl-2'-furyl)-1-benzyl indazole (YC-1, $10{\mu}mol/L$), an antagonist of $HIF-1{\alpha}$. In addition, VEGF could regulate the expression of RUNX2, as RUNX2 expression was enhanced by human VEGF ($hVEGF_{165}$) and suppressed by VEGF siRNA. In addition, knocking down VEGF could decrease the expression of osteogenesis-related genes, i.e., RUNX2, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and type I collagen (COL1), and hypoxia could enhance the expression of ALP, COL1, and osteocalcin (OCN) in the early stage of osteogenesis of PDLSCs. Taken together, our results showed that hypoxia could mediate the expression of RUNX2 in PDLSCs via $HIF-1{\alpha}$-induced VEGF and play a positive role in the early stage of osteogenesis of PDLSCs.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
• /
• v.22 no.6
• /
• pp.41.1-41.14
• /
• 2021

Background: Our previously prepared ceftiofur (CEF) hydrochloride oily suspension shows potential wide applications for controlling swine Streptococcus suis infections, while the irrational dose has not been formulated. Objectives: The rational dose regimens of CEF oily suspension against S. suis were systematically studied using a pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic model method. Methods: The healthy and infected pigs were intramuscularly administered CEF hydrochloride oily suspension at a single dose of 5 mg/kg, and then the plasma and pulmonary epithelial lining fluid (PELF) were collected at different times. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimal bactericidal concentration, mutant prevention concentration (MPC), post-antibiotic effect (PAE), and time-killing curves were determined. Subsequently, the area under the curve by the MIC (AUC_0-24h/MIC) values of desfuroylceftiofur (DFC) in the PELF was obtained by integrating in vivo pharmacokinetic data of the infected pigs and ex vivo pharmacodynamic data using the sigmoid E_max (Hill) equation. The dose was calculated based on the AUC_0-24h/MIC values for bacteriostatic action, bactericidal action, and bacterial elimination. Results: The peak concentration, the area under the concentration-time curve, and the time to peak for PELF's DFC were 24.76 ± 0.92 ㎍/mL, 811.99 ± 54.70 ㎍·h/mL, and 8.00 h in healthy pigs, and 33.04 ± 0.99 ㎍/mL, 735.85 ± 26.20 ㎍·h/mL, and 8.00 h in infected pigs, respectively. The MIC of PELF's DFC against S. suis strain was 0.25 ㎍/mL. There was strong concentration-dependent activity as determined by MPC, PAE, and the time-killing curves. The AUC_0-24h/MIC values of PELF's DFC for bacteriostatic activity, bactericidal activity, and virtual eradication of bacteria were 6.54 h, 9.69 h, and 11.49 h, respectively. Thus, a dosage regimen of 1.94 mg/kg every 72 h could be sufficient to reach bactericidal activity. Conclusions: A rational dosage regimen was recommended, and it could assist in increasing the treatment effectiveness of CEF hydrochloride oily suspension against S. Suis infections.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.43 no.2
• /
• pp.1-7
• /
• 2022

Objectives: Bee venom (BV) is a widely used therapy in Traditional East Asian Medicine (TEAM). We previously reported that BV was clinically effective for treating Parkinson's disease, that phospholipase A₂ (PLA₂) was the main component of BV, and that it induced regulatory T cells (Tregs) by binding CD206 on dendritic cells (DCs). Therefore, we aimed to reconfirm our findings in human blood samples and investigate the relationship between CD206⁺ DCs and clinical syndrome differentiation in TEAM. Methods: We surveyed 100 subjects with questionnaires on cold-heat patternization and obtained their blood samples. The obtained human peripheral blood monocytes (hPBMCs) were washed with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). After resuspension with ex vivo media, numbers of cells were counted. Tregs were counted after culturing the samples in a 37℃ CO₂ incubator for 72 h. Results: We divided the subjects into a relatively high CD206⁺ group or a relatively low CD206⁺ group. The heat factor scores of high CD206⁺ group were significantly higher than that of low CD206⁺ group (high vs low: 239.2 ± 54.1 vs 208.4 ± 55.1, p=0.023). After culturing with PLA₂, Tregs increased in the high CD206⁺ group but decreased in the low CD206⁺ group. Conclusion: In this study, we reconfirm that CD206⁺ DCs induced Treg differentiation by incubating human blood samples with PLA₂ and that they showed an association with syndrome differentiation, especially with heat patterns, in TEAM. A heat pattern in TEAM might be one indication for PLA₂ therapy because its score was elevated in the high CD206⁺ group.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.55 no.4
• /
• pp.353-366
• /
• 2022

Spatial estimation of geoscience data (geo-data) is challenging due to spatial heterogeneity, data scarcity, and high dimensionality. A novel spatial estimation method is needed to consider the characteristics of geo-data. In this study, we proposed the application of Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) among machine learning algorithms with multivariate data for robust spatial predictions. The performance of the proposed approach was tested through soil chemical concentration data from a former smelting area. The concentrations of As and Pb determined by ex-situ ICP-AES were the primary variables to be interpolated, while the other metal concentrations by ICP-AES and all data determined by in-situ portable X-ray fluorescence (PXRF) were used as auxiliary variables in GMM and ordinary cokriging (OCK). Among the multidimensional auxiliary variables, important variables were selected using a variable selection method based on the random forest. The results of GMM with important multivariate auxiliary data decreased the root mean-squared error (RMSE) down to 0.11 for As and 0.33 for Pb and increased the correlations (r) up to 0.31 for As and 0.46 for Pb compared to those from ordinary kriging and OCK using univariate or bivariate data. The use of GMM improved the performance of spatial interpretation of anthropogenic metals in soil. The multivariate spatial approach can be applied to understand complex and heterogeneous geological and geochemical features.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
• /
• v.27 no.1
• /
• pp.25-39
• /
• 2023

This study aims to analyze the differences in the strength of single-parent families based on family characteristics. Using a sample of 267 female single parents, we explore the factors that impact family strength. We found that several variables impact the strength of families headed by a female single parent: the length of time members had lived together as a single-parent family, co-residents, interactions with ex-spouses, full-time work, and household income. Based on these findings, we suggest that the length of time that single-parent families have lived together is an important criterion for planning and evaluating the family policies and services offered by healthy family support centers. Furthermore, in the context of family resource management, family policies and programs that address time management and family life planning for full-time single parents should be developed and implemented.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.49 no.1
• /
• pp.22-29
• /
• 2023

Background: The existing research results on the combined toxicity of these pollutants using mammals, such as rodents, are insufficient, especially in relation to changes in the immune system. Objectives: This study aims at evaluating the cellular immune response to PE-MPs solely or when combined with Pb, which possess excellent adsorption capacity with PE-MPs and is commonly co-exposed in our daily lives. Methods: The study investigated the cellular immune function of 9-week ICR mice with 28 days exposure to PE-MPs (2 mg/mouse/day) and Pb (0.1 mM in distilled water) individually and in combination. PE-MPs were administered via gastric intubation while the lead intake was conducted via the oral drinking water route. Cellular immunity was evaluated by analyzing the production for T_H1 cytokines namely, TNF-α and IFN-𝛾 and T_H2 cytokines, IL-4 and IL-6 in culture supernatants from polyclonally activated splenic mononuclear cells ex vivo. Results: Both the PE-MPs only and the PE-MPs+Pb exposure group revealed an increased T_H1 response with elevated TNF-α and IFN-𝛾 levels and downregulated T_H2 response with low IL-4, and IL-6 production levels compared to the control group. Furthermore, an increased IFN-𝛾/IL-4 ratio was found in the PE-MPs only and PE-MPs+Pb exposure groups, which indicated the skewedness to T_H1 response. Meanwhile, reduced blood hemoglobin levels and increased levels of IL-4, the dominant T_H2 cytokine in the Pb-only exposure group, were observed. Conclusions: Our current findings on the predominance of T_H1 immune response in the PE-MPs and PE-MPs+Pb groups suggest that PE-MPs could be responsible for the predominant induction of the cellular immune changes. This finding could be used as an important landmark in research related to T_H1 predominance, such as autoimmune diseases. It suggests that additional research on immune modulation using longer exposure durations or the same exposure route is required to elucidate stronger findings.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.113 no.2
• /
• pp.198-209
• /
• 2024

This study aimed to investigate the impact of light intensity, manipulated through different shading levels, on the growth and physiological responses of Thermopsis lupinoides. To assess the effects of shading treatments, we examined leaf mass per area, chlorophyll content, chlorophyll fluorescence response, and photosynthetic characteristics. T. lupinoidesexhibited adaptive responses under low light conditions (50% shading), showing increased leaf area and decreased leaf mass per area as shading levels increased. These changes indicate morpho-physiological adaptations to reduced light availability. At 50% shading, the physiological and ecological responses were favorable, with optimal photosynthetic functions including chlorophyll content, photosynthesis saturation point, photosynthetic rate, carbon fixation efficiency, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, and water use efficiency. However, at 95% shading, the essential light conditions for growth were not met, significantly impairing photosynthetic functions. Consequently, 50% shading was determined to be the most optimal condition for T. lupinoides growth. These findings provide valuable insights for effective ex-situconservation practices and site selection for T. lupinoides, serving as foundational data for habitat restoration efforts.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
• /
• v.37 no.2
• /
• pp.203-213
• /
• 2024

In this study, we investigated the growth and physiological responses of Iris laevigata Fisch. to shading treatments in order to suggest optimal light conditions for ex-situ conservation of the northern lineage plants. For this purpose, a control plant receiving full sunlight and different shading treatments (50%, 75%, 95%) were installed, and leaf mass per area, chlorophyll content and fluorescence response, and photosynthetic characteristics were investigated. I. laevigata developed leaves with higher photosynthetic efficiency to adapt to lower light intensity as shading levels increased. Chlorophyll content increased with increasing shading levels, and leaf mass per area decreased with increasing leaf area. The chlorophyll fluorescence responses Fv/Fm and NPQ did not change with shading, and the activity of the carbon fixation system did not differ between treatments. I. laevigata exhibited a light-saturation point equivalent to that of sun plants and maintained photosynthetic capacity similar to that of controls up to 75% shading. The apparent quantum yield of I. laevigata decreased significantly at 95% shading, indicating adaptation to lower light conditions. It seems that the photosynthetic capacity of I. laevigata decreases when grown under 95% shading level compared to full sunlight, and it is judged that the longer the light is restricted by continuous shading, the more unfavorable the growth will be.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
• /
• v.11 no.6
• /
• pp.8-17
• /
• 2006

Laboratory scale experiments were performed to investigate the removal efficiency of the in-situ chemical oxidation method and the air-sparging method for diesel contaminated soil and groundwater. Two kinds of diesel contaminated soils (TPH concentration : 2,401 mg/kg and 9,551 mg/kg) and groundwater sampled at Busan railroad station were used for the experiments. For batch experiments of chemical oxidation by using 50% hydrogen peroxide solution, TPH concentration of soil decreased to 18% and 15% of initial TPH concentration. For continuous column experiments, more than 70% of initial TPH in soil was removed by using soil flushing with 20% hydrogen peroxide solution, suggesting that most of diesel in soil reacted with hydrogen peroxide and degraded into $CO_2$ or $H_2O$ gases. Batch experiment for the air-sparging method with artificially contaminated groundwater (TPH concentration : 810 mg/L) was performed to evaluate the removal efficiency of the air-sparging method and TPH concentration of groundwater decreased to lower than 5 mg/L (waste water discharge tolerance limit) within 72 hours of air-sparging. For box experiment with diesel contaminated real soil and groundwater, the removal efficiency of air-sparging was very low because of the residual diesel phase existed in soil medium, suggesting that the air-sparging method should be applied to remediate groundwater after the free phase of diesel in soil medium was removed. For the last time, the in-situ box experiment for a unit process mixed the chemical oxidation process with the air-sparging process was performed to remove diesel from soil and groundwater at a time. Soil flushing with 20% hydrogen peroxide solution was applied to diesel contaminated soils in box, and subsequently contaminated groundwater was purified by the air-sparging method. With 23 L of 20% hydrogen peroxide solution and 2,160 L of air-sparging, TPH concentration of soil decreased from 9,551 mg/kg to 390 mg/kg and TPH concentration of groundwater reduced to lower than 5 mg/L. Results suggested that the combination process of the in-situ hydrogen peroxide flushing and the air-sparging has a great possibility to simultaneously remediate fuel contaminated soil and groundwater.